Researchers confirm exact site of 1584 Spanish colony Rey Don Felipe in Patagonia
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Apr 23
Researchers confirm exact site of 1584 Spanish colony Rey Don Felipe in Patagonia
5 articles · Updated · Fox News · Apr 23
A single silver coin, a real de a ocho, was unearthed by Chilean and UK archaeologists using advanced geolocation at Port Famine along the Strait of Magellan.
The coin's ceremonial placement matches historical accounts, providing definitive evidence of the colony's location and offering insight into Spanish colonial rituals.
Researchers hope further excavation will clarify why the colony failed, exploring factors beyond hunger, and a documentary on the project is planned for release next year.
Why was a single silver coin the key to pinpointing this lost 16th-century city?
What can new technology reveal about the last days of a 440-year-old ghost town?
Was this doomed colony's collapse a warning sign for Spain's entire global empire?
Did starvation alone doom Port Famine, or does a darker secret lie buried there?
How did Indigenous people thrive for millennia where Spanish colonists failed in three years?